Chapter 6: The State Religion
CHAPTER 6 The State Religion 6.1 INTRODUCTION The Roman religion was very much a State religion. Many religious offices carried with them great political influence. Though it might seem odd from our modern perspective, it was perfectly normal for politicians to take on religious offices as part of their overall service to the State…and if it offered them chances for political and social advancement, so much the better. Modern religions often stress orthodoxy—the proper beliefs and adherence to accepted dogma. To the Romans, the driving principal was orthopraxy—proper practices. The rubrics and mechanics of a religious ritual had to be followed to the letter. A pontiff who performed a public ritual prayer had to do so flawlessly. If he left out a phrase or stumbled over a word, he would have to begin again from the beginning. The other aspect of Roman religion was that it was considered to be contractual rather than personal. An individual seeking the favor of the gods (or indeed a religious official seeking favor on behalf of Rome herself) did so by making a compact or contract with the deity in question (―If you do this for me, I in turn, will do this for you…‖) You will see this evidenced in some of the public prayers made by our PCs in the game. And, finally, Romans were a superstitious lot. They took their signs and omens very seriously. In the Legacy of Sulla, there are many opportunities for religious advancement, both for your PC and for select NPCs that you control. To find out more, read on: 6.2 COLLEGE OF PONTIFFS The College of Pontiffs is considered the supreme authority on all religious matters. Its members are given jurisdiction over all religious matters, whether they concern private persons, magistrates, or priests. The College of Pontiffs will consist of 15 members: seven Patricians, seven Plebeians, and the Pontifex Maximus, who may be of either class. 6.2.1 It’s Good To Be A Pontiff! Pontiffs serve for life or until their resignation. Pontiffs are not subject to any civil court of law or punishment (though they are subject to criminal courts), nor are they responsible to the Senate and People of Rome (with the exception of a Dictator) – their only superior is the Pontifex Maximus. Pontiffs may hold any other office or priesthood. All Pontiffs will be credited with 10 Gravitas per year. You‟ll see the word college used throughout the rules. This isn‟t a place of higher learning. It refers to an association of men—colleagues—who have a similar function or purpose. The College of Pontiffs is led by the Pontifex Maximus. The Pontifex Maximus is elected by at least eight members of the College upon the death or resignation of the previous PM. The Pontifex Maximus shall serve for life, or until his resignation. He will be provided accommodations on the Capitoline by the State, and will gain 20 Gravitas per year. The Pontifex Maximus may not serve as Magister Collegii. 6.2.2 Application Applicants to the College must apply to the Pontifex Maximus, who shall then hold a small election among the Currentmembers of the College. A majority of the College must vote in favor of the candidate. Any unsuccessful candidates may not stand again in the same year. Pontiffs must post at least once per IRL month. Pontiffs must be PCs NPC members of the college will be controlled by Arbiters. 6.3 COLLEGE OF AUGURS Augurs interpret the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds, and taking the auspices is a central part of any major undertaking in Rome. Augurs have the ability to cancel sessions of the Senate and Plebeian Assembly due to ill omens for up to one IRL week, not to exceed twice per IRL month, and not to occur twice consecutively. The College of Augurs shall consist of fifteen members, eight of which must be Patrician and the remaining seven who must be plebeian. Augurs serve for life or until their resignation. Augurs shall gain 5 Gravitas and 5 Auctoritas per year. Augurs may hold any other priestly or political office. The College of Augurs is headed by the Magister Collegii, who shall be elected by at least eight Augurs upon the death or resignation of the previous MC. The Magister Collegii shall also serve for life, or until resignation. He shall gain 10 Gravitas and 10 Auctoritas per year. 6.3.1 Did I Just Hear Thunder? Because the Romans were a superstitious lot, and took their auguries and auspices very seriously, a clever Augur can use his position to great political advantage. If an Augur hears thunder (or says he ―hears thunder‖), that is a serious indication that Jupiter is displeased with whatever‘s happening at the moment. An Augur can use such an occasion to break up a meeting of the Senate, just before a crucial vote is about to take place! Pontiff or Augur: which is right for you? Well, it may come down to where the job opening is! Pontiffs earn more Gravitas as a result of their office, while Augurs earn a mixture of Gravitas and Auctoritas. Religion and politics mix freely in the time of the Late Republic, and we try to capture that in LOS. 6.3.2 Applying for an Augurship Applicants to the College must apply to the Magister Collegii, who shall then hold a small election among the Current members of the College. A majority of the College must vote in favor of the candidate. Any unsuccessful candidates may not stand again in the same year. Augurs must post at least once per IRL month. Augurs must be PCs. NPC members of the college will be controlled by Arbiters. 6.4 PIETY AND INFLUENCE The benefits of participating in the State Religion aren‘t just limited to the members of religious colleges. Public acts of religious piety (―Pietas‖) can produce influence gains. There are several ways of earning Pietas: a) Public Prayers. These are prayers made at various venues like shrines or temples. The prayer will be posted on the Temples thread, and the Arbiters will rate the prayers on a scale of 1-5. They will notify the PC either by e-mail, or posting and advise them on how many points they earned. Only one prayer per quarter. b) Sacrifices come in three sizes, and are limited to one sacrifice per PC per year. They come in three sizes, based on how money is expended on each sacrifice, according to the following formula: Size of Sacrifice Modest Medium Grandiose Cost 10,000 D 20,000 D 50,000D Influence Awarded 1G 2G 3G/3A Sacrificial Rewards c) Dedications of Public Works (Minor). PC‘s who have constructed public works (such as aqueducts, roads, baths, theaters, etc.) can dedicate the construction of the structure to one of the gods. PC‘s can spend up to 500,000 for this type of project. This can be done once per game year. Works of this type take one year to ―construct.‖ Expenditures under 100,000 D won‘t buy you much in the way of new construction, but can be used to improve/spruce up/repair existing structures, roads, etc. See table for costs & effects. d) Dedication of Public Works (Major). These are the truly grandiose projects that leave Romans agog (think of Pompey‘s Theater). These projects are exceedingly expensive and time-consuming, and there is a danger (based on die roll) that the project will encounter ―cost overruns‖ and/or ―time delays.‖ Major calamities can also disrupt the timeline. The rewards, however are great. e) Constructing new Temples and Shrines. This is expensive, but they provide long-lasting effects. Pietas is awarded according to the following formulas, and is credited once construction is complete and at the beginning of every subsequent year until the effects ―wear off.‖ Minimum expenditure is 100,000 D for a small shrine, up to 1,000,000 for a large temple. f) Construction timelines. For simplicity‘s sake, minor public works (whether road improvements, a bath, or whatever) take exactly one year to complete from the time the money is first paid out. Major public works take exactly two years. No Influence points are awarded until construction is complete and the structure has been dedicated, so some long-term planning is required. g) Penalties. If a major public work encounters a ―cost overrun‖ a PC will be expected to immediately provide the required funds upon notification. If he does not, he will begin to lose influence points. Time delays add a half year to the completion time, and an influence point penalty will be deducted. h) Construction Location. For public works and temples constructed within the sacred Pomerium of Rome (think of it as the ancient official city limits as established by Romulus himself), your construction will have to meet some specific requirements: The Pontifex Maximus will have to grant approval for all religious structures. An augur will have to make a favorable auspices for construction to begin on any structure (religious or secular). These auspices must be determined by die roll. Likelihood of favorable responses by both of these individuals may be increased by various efforts, the details of which are left to the imagination of the player. Public Works: Costs & Benefits Construction Risks 6.4.1 Construction Delays and Disasters As mentioned, things can go badly when constructing a major project. That‘ll be true in a few thousand years when the Gauls try to build that canal in Panama, and it‘s certainly true now! And, of Size Cost Influence Gained # Years in Effect Minor Public Works 100,000 5G/5A 1 250,000 7G/7A 2 500,000 10G/10A 2 Major Public Works 1,000.000 10G/20A 5 2,000,000 20G/20A 5 Small Shrine 100,000 D 10G 1 Medium Temple 400.000 D 20G 2 Large Temple 1,000,000 D 20G/10A 5 Huge Temple 2,500,000 D 20G/20A 6 Project Size Time Delay (Game Months--Probability) Cost Overrun (% over—Probability) Major Mishap Probability Minor Public Work or Small/Medium Temple 2 months -50% 6 months -20% 12 months -5% 10% -- 50% 20% -- 20% 50% -- 5% Structural Flooding—5% Collapse – 2% Major Public Work or Large/Huge Temple 6 months -50% 12 months -20% 24 months -5% 10% -- 75% 20% -- 50% 50% -- 10% Structural Flooding—5% Collapse – 2% course, the bigger the project, the bigger the potential calamity. The Arbiter is going to have some arbitrary say in this (as will the dice), but here‘s an idea of what the risks are: ―Flooding‖ results in a 6 month delay while engineers correct the problem and a 10% cost overrun. A more serious ―structural collapse‖ results in a 6 month delay and the larger of 50,000D or 20% cost overrun. Each project gets three die rolls (one for each type of Risk). If you‘re having a particularly unlucky day, you could hit for all three calamities! Example: If you’re constructing a major Aqueduct for an original cost of one million Denarii, and the Arbiter rolls a “25”, “49” and “04,” you’ve just been dealt a serious blow! You’ll experience a 6 month construction delay, followed by a 20% (200,000D) cost overrun, and then your project will encounter some flooding problems which will delay you another 6 months and cost you another 100,000D. All in all, your one million Denarii project will cost 1,300,000 D and be completed a full year behind schedule! Still, if you‘re planning a high-profile political career, these risks will be worth the potential reward. 6.5 THE MINOR COLLEGES While the Pontiffs and Augurs dominated the Roman religious scene, there were many bit players in the grand scheme of things. At the present time, the Minor Colleges will not have an effect on game play, though they may certainly be referred to by players in their posts. The following material is provided for background information only. You can use it to “enrich” your storyline, but the info has no impact on gameplay. 6.5.1 The Arval Brethren Arvales Fratres, the Arval Brethren, were a college of priests founded by Romulus himself. In a society dominated by agriculture, they offered public sacrifice for the continued fertility of the fields, and as such occupied an important position in the religious scheme of Rome. They were also priests of the goddess Dea Dia, and charged with overseeing the festival in her honor. There are 12 Arval Brethren, all of whom may either be patrician or plebeian. 6.5.2 Decemviri Sacrorum The Decemviri Sacrorum were priests charged with the care and inspection of the Sibylline Prophecies. As such, they occupied a critical role in important events. No others may view the prophecies, and even they only at the direction of the Senate. In daily life, they were considered Priests of Apollo, and oversaw his feast day. There are 12 Decemviri (as the name implies), six patrician and six plebeian. The college is overseen by the Pontifex Maximus. 6.5.3 Flamines Flamines were of great importance in the religious life of the Republic. Each one was dedicated to a particular deity or aspect, and served as the direct link between the Roman people and their chosen god. There are 15 flamines, 3 Patrician and 12 Plebeian. Flamines may not be PCs. Flamines may not hold any other office. Flamines are elected by the People upon nomination of the Pontifex Maximus. The PM must nominate 3 eligible candidates for the People‘s consideration upon the death or resignation of the previous flamen. Flamines serve for life, or until their resignation (resignations only on approval of the Pontifex Maximus) Flamen Dialis: Patrician Flamen Martialis: Patrician Flamen Quirinalis Flamines Volturnalem, Floralemque, Palatralem, Falacrem, Furinalem, Pomonalem, Volcanalis, Carmentalis, Virbialis, Laurentialis, Larinailis, Lucullaris: Plebeian 6.5.4 Vestal Virgins The Vestal Virgins were one of Rome‘s most famous features. These women, all picked between the ages of 6 and 10, were guardians of Vesta‘s sacred fire, which represented the life of the Republic itself. If ever the fire should go out, the Republic would die along with it, or so the story went. The Vestals were required to maintain their virginity for the duration of their service, and the penalties for violating that oath were harsh beyond measure. There are six vestal virgins who serve for a minimum of 30 years. They are not required to resign at the end of that time. Vestals cannot hold any other position. Vestals are appointed by the Pontifex Maximus at the age of 6-10 years. The Legacy of Sulla © Copyright 2011 Jim Sebastian